Here Comes the Sun
by mentalpiracy
Summary: Spencer owns a bar. The bar has Open Mic Night. Guess who shows up to play?
1. Chapter 1

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 1

"Spencer!"

That's my best friend, Morgan. Tall-ish, thin, light brown shoulder-length hair and hazel eyes. Oh, and she's diabetic. She can't help it, but I'm okay with it. It makes me love her more. But not like _that_. Like, in a best friend kind of way. She's probably the best friend I've ever had. We met in college; in our video class, to be precise. We worked together on a documentary, and ever since then, we've pretty much been inseparable. We live together in a small two bedroom apartment above the bar we both own. That's where we are now. Four. That's what the bar is called. "Four" was the title of a short film we made together, but I won't go into detail. It's more of an inside joke.

We both got the crazy idea to open a bar together after college. We decided that since we spent a lot of our time partying and bar hopping, we'd put our experiences to good use. Don't get me wrong, we graduated and got our degrees in graphic design, and we each do some freelance work, but most of our time is spent at the bar. And here we are now, two 24 year old best friends running a successful bar in downtown LA.

"Spencer!"

She's the only person in my life I can truly count on. I can talk to her about anything, and she always listens. There was this one time where…

"SPENCER!"

"Sorry, what?"

"Another phone call."

"Ok." I pick up the phone, expecting it to be another call about Open Mic Night tonight.

I'm right.

I roll my eyes and give the guy the same answer I give each one of them. "No sir, we don't take call-aheads. You come in and sign your name on the sign-up sheet. It's first come first serve, so I recommend showing up an hour before the show starts. Yep. Ok. Bye."

I get at least three of those calls every Tuesday night. Open Mic Night. We have all kinds of people come in, sign up, and share their music with the crowd. Some are really talented. Others, well, they're not.

"Hey Spence, the Yuengling guy's here."

Mmm. Yuengling.

Anyway.

I go into the back and unlock the door for the delivery guy to unload the cases of delicious, frothy goodness into the stockroom. I walk back out to the bar and continue getting ready for tonight.

It's not a huge place. Just enough room for the bar, a few tables and booths, and a small stage in the corner. Everything is made of dark wood. The floor, tables, chairs, car, stage. Everything. It gives off a kind of old Irish pub feel. Morgan and I, we're both mostly Irish, so we like it.

Morgan comes out of the office. I know what's coming next.

"So how'd your date go last night?"

Ding ding ding! What fabulous prize do we have to offer our winner, Bob?

"It wasn't a date," I say, giver her the standard Spencer Carlin Eye Roll. Many a person has been on the receiving end of said eye roll.

"Uh huh. Sure," she said, not believing a word I was saying.

"I'm serious. I mean, she was nice enough, she just wasn't really my type," I say, trying to get her to drop the subject.

"You don't have a type, Spencer."

Clearly, she didn't get the hint.

"I don't know, Morgan. I'm just not really looking to date right now, ok?"

"Ok, fine."

She gets it this time.

Did I mention that she was the first person I told that I was gay? Well, she was. And she totally supports me. I really don't know where I'd be right now if she wasn't there to help me get through my last breakup. Rachel, my ex, completely fucked me over. Long story short, I walked in on her with her secretary on our one year anniversary.

Happy Anniversary to you, too, sweetheart.

But that was over two years ago. I should be getting back into the dating scene, right?

Yeah, I thought so, too. Maybe I just haven't met the right woman yet.

The phone rings in the office. Again. Ten bucks says it's another call about Open Mic Night.

I answer the phone. "Hello?"

Insert eye roll here.

Where's my ten bucks, bitch?


	2. Chapter 2

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 2

After the fifth call regarding Open Mic Night, Morgan and I have about a half hour before we open the bar. She grabs us each a beer and sits next to me at the bar.

"So, when are you going to get over the whole Rachel thing and get back out there?"

I decide that I'm not going to punch her in the ovaries this time. To tell you the truth, I've wanted to talk about it for a while now; I've just been putting it off because it's been too hard to deal with.

"I don't know. I mean, it's been two fucking years. I feel like I should be moving on and meeting new people, but I just can't. I don't know what's wrong with me." I let out a heavy sigh.

"Sweetie, there's nothing wrong with you. You were hurt. Big time. It's not exactly the easiest thing to get over. You've met plenty of girls since Rachel, but you keep trying to convince yourself that they're not your type. If you keep saying that, you'll never find someone."

Funnily enough, I had to go through almost the same speech with Morgan when we were freshman. She had recently broken up with her high school boyfriend when I first met her, and she simply refused to go out and have fun on the weekends. She'd go to class, then go right back to her dorm room and not come out. It was pretty ridiculous at first, but eventually I convinced her to come with me to parties at the dorms and to the local bars. She's always said that she owes me for getting her through that time in her life. I guess now she's paying me back.

She puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder and continues, "I know it sucks, and things like that are hard to get through, but trust me when I say you'll find someone. Hell, if I was gay, I'd be next in line," she says with a laugh.

I scoff at her remark. "Right. If I had a nickel for every time I heard that…"

I'd have a nickel.

She smirks. "Speaking of gay, how's Glen?"

On the other hand, if I had a nickel for every time I heard _that_…

"He's good. He called last night to tell me about his date with that girl he works with."

Glen is my older brother. He's an ass most of the time, but he has his redeeming qualities. He moved to New York to do the Wall Street thing once he graduated from Ohio University. I've never understood Wall Street, so I tend to just nod and pretend I know what he's talking about.

"Ah, well hopefully that boy can find a woman who won't treat him like shit."

Glen does well for himself. His job pays a lot, and when girls hear that, they always go running into his arms. He just doesn't seem to get that they're only interested in his money. I've always thought he and Morgan would be good for each other. Come to think of it, I've always thought she had a thing for him.

My other brother, Clay, married his high school sweetheart Chelsea, and they have a 3 year old girl named Kendra. Clay took a job at the hospital in Ohio where our mother works.

I was the only one to move away from home for college. I chose to go to UCLA instead of Ohio U., where both Glen and Clay went. But I've got to say, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. If I hadn't gone to UCLA, I would never have met Morgan. I also met the first girl I had a real crush on at college. However, she turned out to be a narrow-minded bitch. I guess, in a way, I should thank her for helping me realize that I liked girls. I'd always let me eyes linger a little longer at the cheerleaders instead of the boys on Glen's high school basketball team, but I didn't really think much of it before.

Morgan waves her hand in front of my face. "Hey Spence, you still with me?"

I snap out of Spencerland.

"Oh yeah. Sorry. Spaced out for a second."

She laughs, "More like a whole five minutes. Anyway, people are starting to come in, so I better get myself behind the bar."

She finishes up her beer and starts helping customers. I remain seated and continue pondering my current romantic status, or lack thereof.

That needs to change, and quick.


	3. Chapter 3

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 3

People are starting to file into the bar. A couple of people have already put their names on the sign up sheet, and we still have an hour until the show starts. Morgan is behind the bar helping the customers get their alcohol fix. I notice more and more people coming in, so I go to help her until Meg, our other bartender for the night, comes in for her shift. She shows up after a bit and I walk towards the side of the stage to the sign up sheet.

That's when I see her, signing her name on the list.

I stand frozen in my spot.

She turns around and I'm met with the most amazing pair of brown eyes I've ever seen in my entire life. Brown eyes on the most gorgeous face, framed by long, wavy brown locks that cascade down slightly past her shoulders.

She holds my gaze for what seems like hours when in reality, it's two seconds at most. Then she walks to the bar and orders a beer.

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Ashley Davies.

That's her name.

What? I just looked at the sign up sheet. It's not like I'm stalking her now.

Ok, so I've kept an eye on her for a half hour or so. No big deal, right? I'll just be inconspicuous.

"So who's that sexy brunette you've been eyeing up?"

Dammit, Morgan.

I'll try to play it cool. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Please, Morgan, PLEASE take the hint.

"Ok, well just to give you a head's up, she's scheduled to go on third. You should probably announce the first act; it's already after 8." She walks back over to the bar as more people arrive.

I shake my head, trying to rid my thoughts of the brunette, and head up to the stage. I grab the mic and get the show started.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming out for our weekly Open Mic Night. I know you're all here for the music, so I won't waste any more of your time. First up we have Brandon Jones."

Brandon comes up on stage with his acoustic guitar, and starts off with a cover of an old Rolling Stones song. I really don't pay much attention to poor Brandon's set, but I pay enough attention to know that he can't carry a tune. I'm extremely relieved when his three songs are up.

Not because there was now only one more act until Ashley.

No, not at all.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for Brandon!"

A few scattered claps can be heard from around the bar. I almost feel sorry for the tone-deaf boy, but he brought this embarrassment upon himself.

"Next up, we have Katie Rogers."

A grungy girl, looking to be about 17 makes her way on stage and starts playing an original song with an upbeat tempo. It's actually quite catchy, to be honest with you, and she has a very good voice.

I glance over at the bar, and Ashley is watching Katie play. In a matter of seconds, her deep brown eyes are connecting with my bright blue ones. I blush, and shift my gaze back to the stage where Katie is finishing up her second song.

I'm going to be needing a drink.

I go behind the bar and grab a bottle of Yuengling for myself. As I make my way back to the stage, Katie finished her last song, and I can feel a pair of brown eyes following me.

Oh god.

I have no announce her.

I'm getting so nervous, my palms start sweating. This is ridiculous, I do this every week!

But I've never had to introduce someone as beautiful as Ashley Davies.

Oh right, that's why I'm a nervous wreck.

I walk on stage and situate myself in front of the microphone.

"Alright, let's give it up for Kate!"

More applause this time, seeing as this girl could actually sing.

"And now we have Ashley Davies."

She joins me on stage with her acoustic guitar, and I walk off to watch her from the crowd. She sits her beer on the ground, and when she speaks into the mic, the sexiest voice I have ever heard comes through the speakers.

"Hey guys. I'm going to start my set off with a slow song, but don't worry, they'll get faster. This first song is called "Back on the Shelf."

She strums the first chords of her song, and that's when I notice her beautiful hands. Long, slender fingers on each hand grasp the pic and the neck of the guitar and move with ease.

As she starts to sing, the incessant chattering of the bar patrons disappears, and all I can hear is her voice. Her beautiful, raspy voice.

_Don't keep me waiting if you know I'm out of time_

_Don't feed me false hopes if you're sure you won't be mine_

_I know your intentions are not to break my heart_

_But I'd rather you cut me loose now than let these feelings start_

_Let them start_

Don't even think about it, Spencer. This girl is way too gorgeous to be interested in you, or to even be gay at all.

_And don't, don't tell me lies just 'cause you don't want to hurt me_

_Don't use those eyes that say everything is gonna be alright_

_Just be honest with me, and tell the truth to yourself_

_So if you're finished with me, just put me back on the shelf_

_You know that I want you, but don't hold yourself too high_

_Don't think I can't take it if you toss me to the side_

_I may be falling for you, but not faster than I can take_

_So let me down quickly, not slowly_

_My heart would appreciate_

_Appreciate if you don't_

_Don't, don't tell me lies just 'cause you don't want to hurt me_

_Don't use those eyes that say everything is gonna be alright_

_Just be honest with me, and tell the truth to yourself_

_So if you're finished with me, just put me back on the shelf_

_Don't get me wrong, girl, you know I want you_

_Yes, I want you, baby_

_So if you think that you can keep me, then just keep me_

She did just say 'girl,' right? Holy shit, maybe she _is_ gay! Don't get too excited, Spencer, you probably just heard her wrong. But god, do I hope she's gay!

_And don't, don't tell me lies just 'cause you don't want to hurt me_

_Don't use those eyes that say everything is gonna be alright_

_Just be honest with me, and tell the truth to yourself_

_So if you're finished with me, just put me back on the shelf_

_And don't, don't tell me lies just 'cause you don't want to hurt me_

_Don't use those eyes that say everything is gonna be alright_

_Just be honest with me, and tell the truth to yourself_

_So if you're finished with me, just put me back on the shelf_

The song comes to an end, and the whole bar applauds her. Her eyes light up and a stunning smile graces her lips, extending upward into an adorable crinkling nose. I can't keep my eyes off of her.

"Thanks a lot, guys. This next one is an oldie, but it's one of my favorite songs. I know some of you out there know the words, so I want to hear you singing along."

She plays the first few notes, and I immediately recognize the tune. It's my favorite Beatles' song, "Here Comes the Sun." I sing every word with her as she sings and plays perfectly.

Again, the crowd goes wild and I join them, clapping my hands as hard as I can.

"This is my last one, and it's another original. I hope you like it; it's called "I'm All Eyes."

She starts strumming a fast, catchy tune, and everyone in the bar is silent as she begins to sing.

Is she looking at me?

_No one ever has to be alone  
If I got you in my door  
I wouldn't be so bored  
And hiding all my thoughts wouldn't be too wise  
'Cause you would never know  
You would never know  
_

_  
That I'm all eyes  
When you come around  
Will you ever be mine?  
Mine, all mine  
Please be mine  
_

She _is_ looking at me! Just to make sure, I smile at her.

She smiles right back.

_  
Once upon a time, I caught your eye  
But I was much too shy  
I was terrified  
But happy ever after is in my mind  
Will you be mine?  
Will you be mine?_

'_Cause I'm all eyes  
When you come around  
Will you ever be mine?  
Mine, all mine  
Please be mine  
_

_  
No one ever has to be alone_

At the end of the song, the whole bar erupts in a thunderous applause. Clapping, whistling, and shouting can be heard all throughout. Anyone who was sitting gives her a standing ovation, myself included.

"Thanks a lot, guys!" She grabs her beer and guitar, and steps off of the stage.

Out of curiosity, I look to see what she's drinking.

Oh god, it's a Yuengling.

I think I'm in love.


	4. Chapter 4

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 4

The rest of the performers go on, but not one of them got the same reaction from the crowd as Ashley did. Most of the patrons have left already, but some have stayed behind to keep drinking. After all, we're still open for another two hours or so.

Morgan walks over to me while Meg mans the bar.

"Hey, that Ashley girl was really good."

I'm going to play this off like it's no big deal.

"Oh? I hadn't really noticed."

"Oh, whatever, Spence! Your eyes were totally glued to her while she was playing, and even before she went on!"

Damn that diabetic.

I just roll my eyes and shrug my shoulders at her.

Oh no. She's got that look on her face. That evil, conniving look.

"Do you think we should ask her back to play on Friday night?"

I can already feel the giant, goofy grin spreading over my face as she says this.

That woman is a diabetic genius.

"Well, we do have one more spot open in the line-up."

"Come on, Spencer. You so want her to come back. And this will just give you an excuse to talk to her tonight."

WHAT?!? Sure, I wanted to meet her, but I didn't actually expect it to happen!

"NO! No, no, no, no! I can not talk to her! What if I make an ass out of myself?"

She smirks at me, "Well, seeing as you do that all the time anyway, it shouldn't be all that bad."

Another eye roll, courtesy yours truly.

"Please, Morgan, can't you go ask her?"

"Oh, look at that. There are people at the bar who need my amazing bartending services. Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't you go talk to Ashley? Good luck!"

She walks back to the bar, and leaves me standing by the stage with my mouth hanging open.

Ugh. I love/hate her right now.

I can see Ashley sitting at a booth with three other people. A short, red haired girl is sitting next to her, sipping on a cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette. Across from them are a small dark haired, and a guy with short dirty blonde hair, who seems to be the dark haired girl's boyfriend. They're all kissy and cuddly with each other, while Ashley and the redhead are talking. It makes me vomit in my mouth a little bit.

I need a beer first, so I go and grab another Yuengling from the bar, chug it in record time, and decide that now is as good a time as ever. I start walking over and notice my palms getting sweaty, so I wipe them on my jeans. I'm standing in front of her table before I know it.

Crap, they've noticed me.

She's the first to speak.

"Is there something I can do for you?"

Oh, I can think of a few things.

Mind out of the gutter, Spencer.

I finally find my voice. "Yes, actually. Ashley Davies, right?"

"That's right."

"Hi, I'm Spencer Carlin, one of the owners of the bar. I just wanted to let you know that you did a fantastic job tonight; I don't think anyone who's ever played our Open Mic Nights has had that great of a response from the audience."

She flashes me that award-winning smile of hers, and I melt into a puddle of Spencer.

Anyone have a mop?

"Well thank you, Spencer Carlin."

"I've talked to my co-worker and she and I both decided that we would love to have you back on Friday night to play a full set, that is if you're interested."

Please, PLEASE be interested.

"Oh, wow! Are you serious? I would love to play Friday night! Thank you so much!"

I just got an idea.

Oh, I am so bad.

"Great! Is there a phone number where I can reach you to let you know the details?"

"Yeah, sure. Just a second."

She grabs a pen from her purse and writes her number on a napkin.

"This is my cell. I pretty much always have it on, so give me a call anytime."

"I'll probably call you tomorrow afternoon sometime, is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. And again, thank you so much!"

"Thank you, Ashley. It's not everyday we find someone as beautiful and talented as you to come along and play in our bar."

Please tell me I didn't just say that out loud.

There's that smile again, accompanied by a red tint to her cheeks.

Yep, I guess I did say it.

"Well, shucks, Miss Carlin." She bats her long eyelashes at me.

If only I would smash my head against the table right now.

I shake myself out of my stupor. "Anyway, it was great meeting you, Ashley. I'll call you tomorrow with the details."

"I look forward to it, Spencer Carlin."

Oh god. That smile. If it was the last thing I ever saw before I died, I'd be perfectly fine with it.

I walk away from the booth, and make my way towards Morgan at the bar, mentally smacking myself on the forehead.

"How'd it go? Is she gonna play?"

"Yep."

"Did you make an ass out of yourself?"

"Yep."


	5. Chapter 5

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 5

My cell phone has been sitting on the coffee table since I came home last night. Next to it is the napkin that Ashley gave me last night with her phone number on it. I've only been sitting on the couch in front of said items for about an hour, continually picking up the phone, dialing the first few numbers, closing the phone, and putting it back on the table.

Morgan and I live together in an apartment above the bar. It's a small, two bedroom place with a kitchen, one bathroom, and a living room. It's a simple place, slightly resembling our bar downstairs. There's a lot of dark colors, and dark wood.

As I sit on the maroon leather couch, I see an orange blur jump from the floor to the coffee table.

"Hey there, Milo."

_Meow._

I got Milo about a year ago. He showed up outside of the bar one evening, and I didn't have the heart to leave him outside. I put up flyers around the neighborhood, and even put an ad in the local paper, but no one claimed him. I took him in, and he's been a part of my life ever since.

_Meow._

"Yes, Milo. I know I space out a lot."

_Meow._

"I don't know. I really need to call her, but I'm so nervous!"

Milo jumps on to the couch and into my lap, and nuzzles into my neck. I scratch him behind his ears; his favorite spot. He then jumps back on to the coffee table, looks at my cell phone, and then back at me.

_Meow._

I sigh. "Oh, alright."

I pick up my phone, and finally dial all the numbers. It rings three times, and I pray that it goes right to voicemail.

"Hello?"

No, of course not. Why would it go to voicemail?

"Hello?"

Oh shit, that's her.

"Hi, Ashley?"

"Yes?"

"This is Spencer Carlin, from Open Mic Night."

"Ah, of course, Miss Carlin. How could I forget?"

Did she just flirt with me? God, I hope so.

"Well, I was just calling to let you know what's going on for Friday night. Now, we have two acts starting at 9PM, and then you're going to be playing the last slot from 11:00-11:45. You'll be getting paid based on how much money the bar makes, so invite a bunch of your friends. Oh, and any drinks you want are on the house."

No, we don't normally give out free drinks.

"Oh, wow, that sounds great!"

She hesitates for a couple of seconds.

"So…are you going to be there on Friday?" She sounds unsure of herself.

There's a grin on my face. It's huge.

"Yes, I'll be there."

I can hear the smile in her voice. "Ok, good."

"Well, I think that covers it. I'll see you on Friday, Ashley."

"I'll be counting the days, Spencer Carlin."

I end the call, close up my phone, and sit it on the coffee table. I breathe out what is quite possibly the biggest sigh in the world, and the giant grin is back, plastered on my face.

So will I, Ashley, so will I.


	6. Chapter 6

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 6

You have absolutely no idea how long it took for the rest of Wednesday and Thursday to go by. I tried to keep myself busy with odd jobs around the apartment, and it was not easy. I even spent time down in the bar on Thursday, and I had off that night.

Friday finally rolls around and I am a mixture of nervous and excited. I woke up late, around noon, to get ready, even though I didn't actually need to be downstairs until 8pm. I already fed Milo and made myself some breakfast, consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. After I ate, I took a shower and now here I am, standing in front of my closet, trying to decide what to wear. I still have about 6 hours to waste before going down to the bar. Morgan is already down there with Meg taking care of deliveries. I throw on some sweats and sit down at my laptop to do some ad and logo designs I had been putting off.

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Wow. Who knew 5 hours could go by that fast? It's 7pm and I find myself back in front of my closet, deciding what to wear. I try on at least 15 different outfits, and not one of them looks good enough. I finally settle on a tight dark denim skirt with a light blue backless halter top. I wore my hair down with slight curls, and applied a small amount of make-up. By the time I finish getting ready, it's already 8:30. I feed Milo, and head down to the bar.

Sweet Jesus.

The first thing I see when I hit the bottom of the stairs is Ashley sitting at the bar while Meg flirts with her.

Wait, what?

I take in the scene before me: Morgan is behind the bar helping the four other people inside. Ashley is sitting on a stool with her elbows on the bar talking to Meg, who is leaning over the bar, pushing her floatation devices together and shaking her bottle-blonde hair out of her eyes.

Oh, no she isn't.

She's giggling at something Ashley's saying, and touching her playfully on the arm.

It's time for Super Spencer to save the day.

I stand up straight, puff out my pronounced cleavage, and make my way towards Ashley. She's wearing a deep red tank top with quite possibly the tightest pair of dark jeans I have ever seen. I wipe the drool from my mouth, and continue towards her. When I get about five feet away from her, she turns her head and her jaw drops to the floor. I smile seductively at her as her eyes roam from my long legs up to my face. I glance over at Meg and if looks could kill, I would be six feet under. Once I approach Ashley, I place my hand on her toned arm and let it slide down to her elbow.

"Hey Ashley. It's great to see you again."

Yeah, I can be sexy when I want to.

"Uh…It's…Uh…It's great to see you too, Spencer."

Oh god, what have I done to the poor girl?

I turn to Meg and flash her a fake smile.

"I'll take over from here, Meg. More people are starting to come in, so you should get back to work."

She scoffs at me and goes to help the customers. I turn back to Ashley.

"Shall we get a booth?"

"Uh…Yeah, sure."

She grabs her beer as I go to get one for myself, and we take the last empty booth. For the next hour or more, we sit at the booth across from each other talking about everything under the sun. After many long glances and playful touches, we both have empty bottles sitting in front of us, and I go behind the bar to get two more. When I return to the table, a comfortable silence surrounds us. She takes a sip of her beer and when she puts it back down, her hand comes to rest on top of mine.

"You know, Spencer, I'd really love to…"

"Hey Ashley!" She doesn't get to finish. Her friends from Tuesday night join us at the booth.

"Hey guys. This is Spencer, one of the owners of the bar. Spencer, this is my friend Stella, my sister Kyla, and her boyfriend Nick." She points to the cigarette-smoking redhead, then the small dark haired girl, and then the guy with the short dirty blonde hair, respectively.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you guys."

Ashley slides in next to me, letting Nick and Kyla sit together across from us, while Stella pulls a chair up at the end of the table. We talk for the next hour, and I get to know a bit about Ashley's friends. Her sister, Kyla, is a year younger than her. She teaches at an elementary school and lives with her boyfriend, Nick. Nick is 25 years old and works as a mechanical engineer. Stella, the redhead, has been Ashley's best friend since high school. She works at a deli and lives with her boyfriend Jeremy.

By now it's almost 11, and Ashley goes on stage to set up. Nick ,Kyla, Stella, and I move to a table right in front of the stage. Ashley finishes tuning her guitar and then speaks into the microphone.

"Hey guys. I really appreciate you staying out to hear me tonight. Before I get started, I just want to send a big thank you out to Spencer, one of the owners, for giving me the opportunity to play here tonight."

She looks right at me and smiles.

"My first song is going to be a cover, so if you know the words, feel free to sing along."

She starts to strum her guitar with her long fingers and plays "And Your Bird Can Sing" by the Beatles. She goes on to play a few more songs, all of which strike a chorus of cheers and whistles from the crowd.

"Unfortunately, I only have time for one more song. This is an original that I actually wrote a couple of days ago. I had a sudden burst of inspiration and this was the result. I'd like to dedicate this song to Miss Spencer Carlin, because she was the inspiration. It's called 'Chance.'"

As she strums the upbeat chords, she looks right into my eyes and gives a sweet smile. I can feel my face get hot as I smile back.

_Maybe we could grab a bite_

_That's all I'm saying, that's all I'm saying_

_Maybe we could go for a ride_

_Drive 'til midnight_

_Or just watch the sun come up_

_And I don't know exactly what I'm saying, girl_

_I know I've got to see you again_

_And maybe if we're lucky, we could work on this romance_

_I think you'd like me if you just gave me the chance_

_Maybe I could come on over_

_Rent a movie, or maybe watch a TV show_

_But I got to get up early_

_But if you could wake me_

_Oh, I'd gladly stay the night_

_And I don't know exactly what I'm saying, girl_

_I know I've got to see you again_

_And maybe if we're lucky, we could work on this romance_

_I think you'd like me if you just gave me the chance_

_A chance for me_

_I'm gonna make you happy_

_A chance to love you_

_'Cause I'm gonna love you unconditionally_

_A chance for all your friends to see_

_That you're the one for me_

_Maybe I could meet your parents_

_Have a sit down, or maybe look at old photos_

_I'm pretty sure that they would like me_

_And if I ask nicely_

_They might let me take you home_

_And now I know exactly what I'm saying, girl_

_I know I've got to see you again_

_And maybe if we're lucky, we could work on this romance_

_I think you'd like me if you just gave me the chance_

_A chance for me_

_I'm gonna make you happy_

_A chance to love you_

_'Cause I'm gonna love you unconditionally_

_A chance for all your friends to see_

_Did I mention that I'll go real far?_

_You know, my friends all think I'll be a star_

_Did I mention that I play guitar?_

_And now I know exactly what I'm saying, girl_

_I know I've got to see you again_

_And maybe if we're lucky, we could work on this romance_

_I think you'd like me if you just gave me the chance_

Once again, the bar erupts with applause and cheers as she steps off the stage. As she gets her things together, Kyla, Nick, and Stella say goodbye and head out, along with most of the patrons. Morgan and soon-to-be-fired-for-hitting-on-Ashley Meg have the bar under control, so I wander over towards Ashley, sitting on the edge of the stage putting her guitar away. I sit down next to her.

"Hey."

"Hey, Ashley. Great job tonight."

There's that smile again.

"Thanks, Spence."

"I especially liked that last song."

"Yeah, I wrote that on Tuesday night after I left here. Like I said, I had a sudden burst of inspiration," she says, as she looks into my cobalt eyes.

I look down at the floor and blush profusely.

"So I was thinking…if you're not busy tomorrow, maybe we could grab a bite?" I say, quoting the song she had written for me.

If it's even possible, her smile gets bigger.

"I think I'd like that."

"Great. Can I call you tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yeah sure."

"Ok."

We're both blushing now.

"Well, I should probably go help Morgan with the bar." I place my hand over hers. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Ok. See you later."

I hop off of the stage and head over to the bar. She grabs her equipment, gets her money from Morgan, and before she leaves, she looks over at me and winks.


	7. Chapter 7

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 7

"So are you excited about your date tonight?"

"Excited would be the understatement of the year," I say to Morgan.

It's almost noon as we both sit at our kitchen table eating breakfast. I didn't sleep much last night. I couldn't. I wonder why that is.

Morgan takes a bite of her cinnamon raisin bagel. "Have you decided where you're going to take her?"

"Ugh. I have no idea. I was thinking about Dino's, but is that too nice for a first date?" Dino's is an expensive Italian restaurant not too far from the bar. "But then again, I don't want to go to some cheap diner."

She screws her face up in concentration. "There's that new place on the beach…I think it's called The Red Maple. It's not too expensive, but it's not cheap. I've never been there, but I've driven past it. Looks very nice; very modern."

"I'll have to ask her if she's ever been there. I guess a new place couldn't hurt."

She takes another bite of her bagel. "So, when are you going to call her?"

"I'm not sure. We had kind of a late night at the bar last night, and I don't want to wake her up if she's still sleeping."

"Late night, eh?" She waggles her eyebrows.

I break off a piece of my toast and throw it at her. It hits her in the nose. "Shut up or I'll send you into a diabetic coma."

She laughs and says, "Are you going to need my help picking out your outfit?"

"Probably."

"I figured. You could use some of my fashion expertise." She smirks at me.

"Morgan, you still wear scrunchies in your hair."

Her eyes go wide. "I thought we said we'd never mention that!" She throws a piece of toast right back at me.

I finish up eating and decide I should probably give Ashley a call.

"I'm going to go call Ashley now."

"Ok. I'll be in my room. Now, I don't want to be hearing any phone sex coming from your room…"

Another toast fight ensues.

When I finally get to my room, I grab my cell from the night stand and sit on the edge of my bed. Having already made the first move and asking her out, I'm only slightly nervous. And when I say slightly nervous, I really mean that in the span of 60 seconds, I have bitten my thumbnail so far down that it's starting to bleed.

Once I dial her number, it rings only once, and she picks up.

"Hey, Spence."

She totally saved my number in her cell, and I smile at the thought.

"Hey Ashley. I was calling to see if you still wanted to go out later?"

"Of course. I made sure my evening was clear as soon as I got home last night."

I'm really glad she can't see the huge fucking grin on my face.

"Well, my roommate told me about this new place on the beach called The Red Maple. Have you heard of it?"

"Oh, yeah. I drove past it a few times, but I've never been inside. It looked nice."

"I was thinking maybe we could check it out and have dinner there?"

"Sounds great! Do you want to meet there, or…?"

She pauses.

"I could pick you up around 7," I say.

"Ok, that works. I like close by the place, so that'd be good."

"Alright. Now all I need are directions to your place."

She proceeds to give me directions to her apartment, which is apparently right on the beach as well. We say our goodbyes and then hang up. I walk down the hall to Morgan's room and she follows me back into mine to help me pick out an outfit. She makes me try on a couple of things before finally settling on a white skirt that comes about 4 inches above my knees, and a teal tank top. I lay my clothes on the end of my bed and go down to the bar to take care of deliveries before I start getting ready.

I'm smiling the whole time I'm downstairs. You would be, too, if you were going on a date with Ashley Davies. But you better not be. Or I'll kill you.


	8. Chapter 8

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 8

I'm sitting in my car in front of her building. It's nearly 7pm, and I've been sitting here for ten minutes. I've got the air on full blast, so I don't get all sweaty. Yeah, that's how nervous I am.

As soon as I finished up with deliveries at the bar, I took a quick shower and got dressed. Then I headed over to Ashley's to pick her up.

So here I am. It's 7 o'clock on the dot. I would get out of the car and up to the door, but my ass seems to be made of lead. I take a few deep breaths, collect myself, and finally open the door of my navy Volkswagen Jetta. I run my hands down over my skirt, smoothing it out. One more deep breath and I make my way into her building.

Once I am standing in front of her door, I knock. Not more than two seconds afterwards, she opens the hardwood door.

"Hey Spencer, it's great to see you again."

She's wearing dark, skin tight, low rise jeans with a black halter top that stops just far enough to show off her Abs of Glory.

"It's great to see you too, Ashley. You look…uh…wow."

She giggles. "You look wow, too, Spence. Are you ready to go?"

"Ready when you are."

I follow her back out to my car, making sure to check out her…assets. I open up the door for her to get in, and then make my way to the driver's side. The car ride starts off quiet, but we fall into conversations about the bar, Ashley's music, and how beautiful she looks. Ok, I made that last part up, but I was _thinking_ about how beautiful she looks.

She wasn't kidding when she said she lived close. After no more than ten minutes, we're parking in the lot of The Red Maple. We walk up and inside the dimly lit restaurant. The hostess takes us to our table in the corner and gives us our menus.

"Can I get you both something to drink?" Her eyes linger a little longer on Ashley.

It's time to flip the sexy switch.

Ashley goes first. "I'll have a Yuengling, please."

"Ok, and for you?" She turns to me.

I look Ashley dead in the eye and say, "I'll have a Sex on the Beach."

Her eyes go wide and a deep blush tints her cheeks. I smirk at her, and she suddenly takes interest in her menu. The waitress leaves to go get our drinks. Ashley glances up at me over her menu.

"See something you like?" I say, and flash her a smile.

If her eyes get any wider, they'll get stuck.

"What?"

"On the menu. See anything you like on the menu?"

"Oh. Um, the crab and shrimp pasta sounds good."

The waitress comes back with our drinks, takes our orders, and then leaves.

I push some of my blonde hair behind my ear and say, "So do you have any more shows lined up?"

She sips her beer and says, "I've got one next Saturday, actually, at a bar downtown called Rainbow House."

"Oh, ok. I've heard of it."

"Yeah." She fidgets with her hands. "I was kind of hoping maybe you'd want to come by and see me play? That is, it you're not busy with work or anything…"

I reach across the table and put my hand over hers, rubbing her thumb with my own.

"I'd love to, Ashley."

The waitress chose that exact moment to bring our food.

"Ok, crab and shrimp pasta?"

"That's me." She places the dish in front of Ashley and flashes her a big smile.

"And you must be the steak, medium-well." She practically throws the plate down in front of me and shoots me a hateful look.

She's so not getting a tip.

We fall into easy conversation over dinner, with covert glances and lingering touches.

Once we finish eating, she looks at me and says, "You've got a little bit of steak sauce right next to your mouth."

God, do I feel like a dork.

Wait. I can make this sexy.

I drag my finger over the sauce, then swipe my tongue out and lick it off the tip of my finger. I make sure to take my sweet time, and her eyes stay glued to my lips.

"Did I get it all?" I say, my voice sounding slightly huskier.

"Uh…Uh huh…"

The waitress brings the check, and I notice Ashley taking out her wallet.

"Oh, no, Ashley. I've got it." 

"No, Spencer, I'm not going to let you pay for all of it."

"Hey, I'm the one who asked you out, so I'm going to pay."

"Well, alright. As long as you let me take you out sometime."

"Ashley Davies, are you asking me on a second date?" I smile at her.

She blushes and smiles right back. "I suppose I am, Spencer Carlin."

"Well in that case, how can I say no?"

I pay for the meal, don't leave a tip, and we head out to the car. All too soon, we find ourselves in front of her building. We walk to her door together, and all of a sudden, my sexy switch gets shut off.

Shit.

"So can I call you sometime?" she asks, timidly.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that."

She smiles sweetly and fumbles with her keys.

Ok. I've got this beautiful girl in front of me. Beautiful, smart, talented, funny, sexy as all hell. Should I go in for the kiss? Should I hug her? Shake her hand? Kiss on the cheek? Yes! That's it! Kiss on the cheek. Not too forward, but not too dorky like the handshake.

Just as I'm about to kiss her on the cheek, she beats me to it. She places her left hand on the right side of my face and kisses my other cheek.

That sneaky, sexy woman.

Her lips are unbelievably soft as she places a barely there kiss on my cheek. She starts to pull away, but let's her lips linger millimeters from my own. I can feel her warm breath as her stunning brown eyes flicker up to look into mine. Her thumb brushes against my cheek as I gaze into her eyes.

God, she's gorgeous. I want to kiss her so bad. I wonder what she tastes like. There's only one way to find out. But I'm too nervous! What if she doesn't want me to kiss her? What if…

Her lips are on mine. I'm too shocked do anything at first, but as she starts to pull away, I come to my senses. My hands go to her hips and I crash my lips back into hers. Strawberry lip gloss. That's what she tastes like. Her arms snake around my neck and she drags her fingernails very lightly on the back of my neck. Jesus Christ in a bucket, that feels amazing. Almost as amazing as the feel of her tongue lightly brushing over my bottom lip, asking to deepen the kiss. I waste no time as I part my lips slightly while her tongue makes its way between them, gently massaging its partner. My fingers play with the small strip of exposed skin between her halter top and the waist of her jeans.

Ok, if I don't stop this now, we could end up in a very compromising position. I start to pull away and she gently nips at my bottom lip.

"I've wanted to do that since I first saw you on Tuesday night," she confesses breathlessly.

"So have I." I rest our foreheads together.

After taking some time to catch our breath, I look at her and cup her face in my hands.

"I should probably get going."

She makes a growling noise that travels from my ears to my…well, you get the idea.

"Do you have to?"

"I'm afraid I do. I have some work to get done tomorrow. Call me?"

"Of course."

I give her one last soft kiss on her slightly bruised lips, and we say our goodbyes. I finally tear myself away from her and walk back down to my car, ending what is quite possibly the best night of my life.


	9. Chapter 9

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 9

_She's on top of me, straddling my waist. Her hands move under the hem of my shirt and scratch just under my bra while her mouth attacks my lips. Her tongue wastes no time forcing its way into my mouth and massaging mine. She pulls away and places hot, wet kisses down my jaw line, stopping to suck on my pulse point, making me moan with pleasure. She takes her time on my neck, leaving her mark in multiple paces, and her hands movie to cup and massage my breasts. Her thumbs brush over my already hardening nipples. She moans my name into my neck._

"_Oh, Spencer…"_

_Her hand moves down my body, coming to rest on the button of my jeans._

"_Spencer…"_

_Fingers slide the zipper down painfully slowly._

"_Spencer…"_

_A hand dives under my thong, and begins to…_

"SPENCER!"

I sit up with a jolt; my whole body feeling like it was on fire.

"Goddammit, Morgan, are you trying to make me go deaf?"

"Sorry, Spence. You were making weird noises in your sleep; I thought something was wrong."

I let out a long, frustrated sigh. "No, nothing's wrong. I just need an extremely cold shower, that's all."

She looks confused. "Oh, ok." She searches my face for an explanation. After that dream, my face has got to be flushed. And I think she notices.

A look of understanding crosses her face. "Ohhh, I gotcha. You go…take care of yourself while I make breakfast. And you are telling me everything that happened last night."

She walks into the kitchen while I make my way to the bathroom. Once I rid myself of my pajamas, I pull back the clear glass shower door and step inside. I turn the water on and feel the icy cold cascade down my body, cooling it off.

Once I finish my shower, I pull on some old worn out jeans and a white beater and head out into the kitchen where I can smell the delicious breakfast that Morgan has whipped up. I sit down at the table, my mouth watering at the chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, and bacon on the plate in front of me. Morgan sits down in the chair across from me.

"You know, I can totally see your nipples through that beater."

I grab my fork and dig into my pancakes. "I'm ok with that."

She shrugs her shoulders and begins to eat. "So give me details. Now."

I tell Morgan everything that happened last night, including the Hooker Waitress, and there is a huge smile on my face the entire time.

"So you kissed her?"

"Yes, and it was _amazing._"

"You seem to have found yourself a keeper, Spence."

"I don't know, but I hope so."

We both finish eating, I put on a bra, and we go to meet Meg down in the bar to get ready to open for the night. Once we get down there, we wipe down the bar, sweep the floors, and take care of deliveries, along with over odd jobs. At 6pm, I send Meg to go unlock the door, and when she does, I can hear giggling and talking. She walks back in with a flirty smile on her face, and I see the cause of the giggles saunter in behind her.

She is getting fired tonight.

"Hey Spence."

"Ashley, hey. What are you doing here?"

She walks up to me, and wraps her arms around my waist. "I was going to call, but I decided to just come here." She puts her lips close to my ear and whispers, "I was also hoping we could pick up where we left off last night." She lightly nips at my ear lobe before placing soft kisses down to my lips.

I look around the bar. Meg is looking at me like I am the spawn of Satan. Morgan is smirking at me, and nods her head towards the office. The…empty…office.

Sweet.

I grab Ashley's hand and drag her into the office. I turn around and lock the door. When I turn back around, I'm being shoved up against the wooden door, and a sexy brunette is attacking me with her lips. Hands roam over clothes as she forces her tongue between my lips. I flip us around so she is the one against the doors, and her back hits the wooden surface as a groan escapes her lips. She backs us up towards the desk on the other side of the small room. She wraps her arms around my waist, grabs my ass, and lifts me up so I am sitting on the desk with my legs hanging over the side. She presses herself hard between my legs, and I wrap them around her waist, pulling her even closer. My hands bury themselves in long brown locks and massage her scalp while she licks and sucks on my neck. Her hands start to wander under my beater and scratch down my back. I pull my hands from around her beck and lift up my arms, signaling to her to take my shirt off. She gets the idea, and pulls my beater over my head, throwing it aside. I wrap my arms back around her neck. She goes back to sucking on my neck, only this time she moves further down to the tops of my breasts. She massages one with her palm while she kisses and sucks the top of the other. I grab onto the back of her head, bringing her closer to my breasts. As soon as her hand reaches around to undo my bra, someone pounds on the door.

"Spencer! You've been in there for a half hour and people are starting to come in! You need to get out here!"

Ashley groans at the intrusion and lifts her head level with mine. She rests her forehead against mine and sighs heavily. She silently backs away as I hop off the desk and look around for my beater. I pull it over my head and turns towards Ashley, cupping her cheek in my hand and lightly kissing her lips.

"I'm sorry. Can we take a rain check?" I ask, with a hopeful glance.

"Of course. How about that second date? Are you free on Wednesday night?"

"Yeah, I have off. What did you have in mind?"

"You'll see. It's a surprise." she says, with a smirk."

"Ok. I suppose I can wait for the surprise, but waiting to see you is a different story."

"Well, I could swing by here with some food on my lunch break tomorrow, if you want."

I smile at her. "Yes, I want." The smile turns to a seductive smirk. "I want _very much._" I kiss her lips a few more times before heading back out to the bar. We stop and share one more kiss before she walks out the door. I look over at Meg, who is glaring back at me. A pint glass slips from her grip and shatters on the floor.

"Hey Meg. Tonight will be your last night."


	10. Chapter 10

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 10

It's 12:55. Her hour long lunch break is at 1. This clock moves too damn slow.

She works part time at a recording studio about four blocks away. When she's not working or playing a show, she's usually recording. I guess that's the good thing about working at a recording studio, you get to record your own stuff for free.

Right now, I'm designing an ad for a new bartender. I'm thinking about putting "must be straight female or gay male to fill the position." That way they won't be hitting on my girl. _Is_ she my girl? We'll have to discuss that over lunch. Considering where we left things yesterday, I doubt we'll be talking about much.

Speaking of lunch…

_Here comes the sun_

_Here comes the sun_

_And I say it's alright_

That was totally my ring tone before I met Ashley…

I flip open my cell. "Hello?"

"Hey beautiful. You going to let me in?"

"Yeah. I'm in the office; I'll be there in a sec."

"The office, huh?" Memories of last night was over me, and I feel that familiar heat between my legs.

I giggle. "Yeah. I'm walking to the door now."

We hang up and I open the door to the bar. I'm met with the most beautiful part of chocolate brown eyes and that gorgeous smile of hers. She takes a step forward and places a soft, sweet kiss on my lips. She pulls back and stares deep into my eyes.

"Hey."

"Hi," I reply.

She lifts her hand up and in it, she has a bag of takeout.

"Hungry?"

"Extremely."

I grab her free hand and lead her to the nearest booth and we sit next to each other.

"So what'd you get?" I ask.

"Umm…chicken lo mien, sweet and sour pork, and bourbon chicken with white rice." She pauses and looks up at me. "Spencer, stop drooling. I know I'm hot." She playfully nudges me, and I kiss her cheek. She dishes out the food and we talk about her job while we eat. Once we finish eating, we clean up all the empty containers and continue talking in the booth.

"So since I've been putting in so many hours these past couple weeks, they're letting me take two whole weekends off to record an album!"

"Ashley, that's so great!"

She places a hand on my thigh and says, "I know. And my boss told me that there was a guy from a local record label who heard my play on Friday night and he wants to talk me about signing me to the label!"

"Aww, honey, I'm so proud of you!" I place my hand on her cheek and give her a soft kiss. It's doesn't stay soft for long as she crashes her lips back into mine. I tilt my head a little, deepening the kiss as I push my tongue past her lips. Her hands reach my waist and pull me so I'm straddling her lap. Her fingers play with the small expanse of skin between the hem of my shirt and the waistband of my jeans. They start to travel under my shirt and scratch down my back. Hard.

"Oh god, Ashley."

My mouth latches on to her neck and I bite down. She moans, telling me to continue. As I suck on her pulse point, she reaches up around my back and unhooks my bra. She then runs her hands around to the front and massages my breasts, rubbing her thumbs over my hard nipples. I throw my head back and gasp as her hands move back to my waist and maneuver me so I'm laying down on the booth seat with her hovering above me, between my legs. She grinds down and thrusts her denim-clad center against my own before attacking my neck with her tongue. My hands grasp her neck while hers start to lift up my tank top, taking my bra with it. She licks a trail down to my chest, where she runs her tongue around the place I want her the most, but without actually touching it.

"Please, Ashley, please."

She finally gives in, taking one hard nipple into her mouth, licking and sucking on it while her hand massages my other breast. I feel her hand travel further down my body, but just then, the alarm on her phone goes off and she sits up quickly.

"Shit! Shit shit shit!"

"Baby, what's wrong?"

"My break's over in five minutes. I have to get back to the studio."

I let out a heavy sigh. This time I'm way too frustrated for a cold shower to ease the heat.

Oh, I've got an idea.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry, but…"

"Do you have your own office?"

"What?" she asks.

"An office. Do you have your own office at the studio? Where no one can disturb you?"

Aww, she looks so adorable when she's confused.

Oh, wait. I think she gets it. Yep. Light bulb. Above the head. There we go.

"I'll call you as soon as I get there." She gets a devious look on her face. God, is it sexy. "Go in your office, too." She kisses me quickly and bolts out the door.

I put my bra and my shirt back on, wash our cups and put them behind the bar. Then, I hightail it into the office and lock the door just in time to hear my cell ring. I settle myself in the leather chair and use my sexy husky voice when I answer.

"Yes, Ms. Davies, what can I do for you?"

"You can start by unbuttoning your jeans."

I do as she says, and my breathing is already starting to pick up. My fingers run under the band of my underwear and into my wetness.

"Tell me what you're doing to yourself."

"I'm…I'm…rubbing myself."

I hear her groan through the telephone, and I know she's right there with me.

"Imagine it's me touching you."

"Oh god, baby," I breathe out.

"Touch your clit. Picture my head between your legs, with my mouth sucking on it."

I'm so close.

"Yes, Ashley. Keep talking. Please, don't stop." I'm begging her now, and she knows I'm almost there.

"Push two fingers inside yourself. Fuck yourself for me, baby."

Two of my fingers enter me, and I let out a deep growl into the phone. They start moving slow, but I know I need more. I push in and out harder and faster.

"Keep going, Spencer," she says. "Cum for me."

As soon as I hear those words from her, stars burst in front of my eyes and my body tenses up as the most powerful orgasm I've ever had washes over me. I can feel my increased wetness drench my fingers as they still inside of me.

"Oh my god, Ashley. That was so good." My breathing starts to even out.

"That was fucking amazing, but I'm sorry to say that I really need to get back to work."

"Ok, baby."

"I promise, I'll see you Wednesday night for our second date."

"You better, or else I may have to reenact our previous actions all by myself," I say to her.

"Trust me, I wouldn't miss it for the world. I really do need to go now. I'll call you tomorrow, hon."

"Ok. Bye, Ashley."

"Bye Spence."

Holy mother of Christopher Walken. If that was any indication as to what sex with Ashley is like, then count me in!


	11. Chapter 11

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 11

Tonight is the night. Not only is it the surprise second date that Ashley is taking me on, but I'm pretty sure I won't be sleeping in my bed tonight. Or at least I hope I won't. It's almost four o'clock now as I sit at my laptop, finishing up the ad for a new bartender. I hear my cell phone going off in the kitchen, and the butterflies in my stomach awaken. I walk to the kitchen and pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, you," she purrs into the receiver.

"How's work going?"

"Good, considering I've only got one hour left of work and then only two more until I'm picking up this gorgeous, blonde haired, blue-eyed beauty for a hot date tonight."

"Oh, really? So you're picking her up at 7?"

"Yep, 7 p.m. So she better be ready."

"I can let her know for you."

"Ok, you do that. Oh, and be sure to let her know to dress comfortably."

"Alright, I will."

"Bye, Spence."

"Bye."

I hang up the phone and get back to work on the ad. I print out a few copies and hang them downstairs in the bar. In another hour and a half, Ashley will be showing up, so I run upstairs to take a shower and get ready. I emerge from the bathroom in a towel and when I get to my room, Morgan is going through my closet.

"Can I help you?" I ask.

"Nope, I'm here to help _you_. Here, wear this tonight." She throws a maroon t-shirt and a dark pair of jeans on my bed. But this isn't just your average old maroon t-shirt. This one is about two sizes too small, and the hem stops about an inch of two below my breasts.

"Morgan! I can't wear that! I might as well be naked!"

"Spencer, come on. Wear the shirt and the jeans with your hair pulled back. Oh, and put your black Chucks on. She'll totally be drooling."

I suppose it couldn't hurt to look extra sexy tonight.

"Fine. I'll wear it."

She grins. "Good. And I shouldn't be expecting you home tonight, am I correct?"

Now it's my turn to smile. "I'm not sure. We'll see."

Her eyebrow arches and she says, "Uh huh. Well, good luck. I'm heading down to the bar."

"Thanks, Morgan."

She walks out and shuts the door, leaving me to get dressed. When I finish, I pull my hair back, leaving a few strands hanging at the sides. The second I finish, my cell starts to ring.

"Yes, Ms. Davies?"

"Hey, Spence. Could you please tell that stunning blonde that I'm outside?"

"Ok, I'll do that."

"Thanks, Spence."

We hang up and I check myself in the mirror once more before grabbing my cell phone, purse, and keys, and heading outside. When I close the door, I see my beautiful brunette leaning back on the passenger side of her black 1965 Ford Mustang convertible with that nose-crinkling smile on her face. I walk over to her a put my arms around her neck, massaging the base.

"That feels nice," she says.

I lean forward slightly and place a soft, slow kiss on her lips. I pull back and connect my blue orbs with her brown ones. One of her hands appears from behind her back, holding a single red rose.

"For you," she says, as the warm smile on my face spreads rapidly. I take the rose from her and smell it, letting the sweet scent fill my head. My hand moves to her cheek as I place another kiss on her lips, this one lasting longer than the previous kiss. When I pull away, I keep my lips millimeters from her and whisper a thank you.

"You're welcome." She gives me a quick peck, and then says, "Ok. Ready to go on our date?"

"Yep. More than ready."

She opens the door for me to get in, then heads over to the driver's side and starts the car. We drive for about a half hour, and when we park, I notice that we're near the boardwalk. She gets out and opens my door. When I get out, I realize that it's colder than I had expected, and a shiver runs through my body.

"Are you cold?" she asks.

"Yeah, a little. I suppose I should have worn something heavier."

She opens the trunk and pulls out a gray hooded sweatshirt. "Here you go," she says, and hands it to me.

"Thanks." I pull it over my head and wrap myself in Ashley's sweatshirt, making sure to inhale deeply, as it smells like her. Cinnamon and vanilla. We walk the short distance to the end of the boardwalk to see that the end of summer carnival has been set up. The smile on my face widens, and I see her look over at me, smiling as well. Her hand finds mine, and I can't help but notice how soft it is. There are only a few calluses from playing the guitar for so many years, but other than that, they are unbelievably soft.

We get to the entrance and she pays for our tickets. We walk through the entrance and she says, "So, what do you want to do first?"

"Hmm…let's go in the haunted house."

She grins. "Ok. You're not going to be too scared, are you?"

"Well, if I do get too scared, I can just hold on to you."

Her nose crinkles with her smile. "I like those odds."

We get in line, into our "doom buggy," and the ride begins. She puts her arm around me and I lean into her, putting my hand on her thigh. It wasn't all that scary, but let's just say I'm glad I had Ashley to hold me. Once we exit the ride, she takes my hand and we start walking around. I spot one of those games, the one with the water gun where you shoot water in the clown's mouth to blow up a balloon, and I drag Ashley towards it.

"C'mon, I'm gonna kick your ass."

"That's what you think, Carlin. You're on!"

She hands the bored teenager the money, and he starts the game. I notice that Ashley's slightly ahead of me, so I decide to mess with her. I keep one hand on the gun and a finger on the trigger, and reach the other hand over to her thigh. I run my fingers up her leg and lightly rub over her center. With my eyes still on the balloons, I can see her falter slightly. My balloon pops before hers, and she looks over at me with a surprised look.

"You cheated! You can't use your sex appeal like that, you tease!" All I do is smirk at her, grab her hand and lead her off to the fun house. We walk around inside, looking at the various oddities. I notice that there aren't many people inside, and before I can open my mouth to say something, I'm being pushed into a dark corner against a wall by Ashley. She starts attacking my lips with her own, and her hands are traveling all over my body. I don't mind the interruption at all, so of course I kiss her back. Her knee finds its way between mine and presses into my already aroused center, causing a moan to escape my lips. Her hands travel under the sweatshirt she gave me to cup my breasts as she attacks my neck. She sucks hard on a few different places, and I know I'm going to have a couple marks left behind. She suddenly pulls away and innocently continues walking around the fun house, looking at the crazy mirrors.

"Who's the tease, now?" I yell at her. I see her smirk, and she says, "Serves you right, sweetie." I walk up next to her and grab her hand, leading us out of the fun house.

"Oh, Ashley, can we go on the ferris wheel?" As soon as the words leave my mouth, her face turns as white as a sheet.

"Uhm…do we…do we have to?" she asks.

"Well, it's always been my favorite…Why, Ashley, what's wrong?"

"Nothing…nothing…just not a big fan of heights, that's all. We can go on it since it's your favorite."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Spence. I'm sure."

We sit down in the seats and Ashley's knuckles turn white as she grips the safety bar in front of us.

"Are you sure you're ok with this?" I ask, as I place a reassuring hand on her knee.

She stares straight ahead and says, "Yep, I'm sure." The wheel starts moving and I hear her whimper. She starts shaking, so I put my arm around her shoulders. She stays rigid and doesn't move. Once we get to the top, the ferris wheel stops and we hear the ride operator say that they're having technical difficulties. I hear Ashley's breathing pick up.

"Hey. It's going to be ok," I say, trying to calm her down.

"No, it's not. We're going to die. We haven't even had sex yet, and we're going to die!"

I chuckle at her. "We're not going to die, sweetie. Just try to keep your mind off of it."

"Oh really, Spencer, and how do you think I should…"

I cut her off. With my lips. She tilts her head to deepen the kiss, and seconds later, the ferris wheel starts to move again. When it's our turn, we step out of the cart and my hand goes straight into Ashley's.

We spend a couple more hours at the carnival, getting on different rides, playing some games, and eating cotton candy. She even won me a stuffed llama that I named Fredrick.

When we leave the carnival, she grabs my hand and leads me towards the beach. We walk a little ways as the waves crash over our bare feet. Once we get far enough away from most of the people, she stops and turns towards me. She wraps both of her hands around one of mine and says, "So…I have a question for you."

"Ok, shoot."

"Umm…" I can tell she's starting to get nervous.

"What is it, Ashley?"

"Do you…maybe…want to be my girlfriend?" she asks, and looks down at the ground. I lift her chin up with my index finger and place a soft kiss on her lips.

"I would love to, Ashley."

There's that nose-crinkling smile again.

Soon, we find ourselves back at Ashley's car. She puts her hands on my waist and gently leans me against the passenger side, staring deep into my eyes. As I stare back, I notice her eyes are a shade darker than normal, displaying her desire. I cup her face in my hands and kiss her deeply. She pulls back and smiles, then her expression turns serious.

"Do you want to come back to my place? For coffee?"

My face has got to be glowing.

"Yeah. I'd like that."


	12. Chapter 12

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 12

We're in the car on our way back to her apartment. Her hand is resting on the gear shift and mine is on top of hers. As nervous as I am right now, I know that I couldn't be happier. We park in front of her building and before I know it, we're standing in front of the elevator, waiting to head up to her apartment. Once the doors open, we walk inside and she presses the button for the top floor. As soon as the doors close, I walk over to Ashley and pull her into a deep kiss, placing my hands on her waist and pushing her against the cold glass mirrors that line the walls of the elevator. All too soon, the elevator dings, signaling our arrival on the 5th floor. She grabs my hand and leads me to the last door on the right. When she enters her loft apartment, she places her keys in a glass bowl sitting on a small end table by the door. I take off the hooded sweatshirt she gave me and place it on the coat hanger above the end table. I can tell she's nervous by the way she's wringing her hands.

She finally gathers herself and says, "I'll go make that coffee."

She starts to walk towards the kitchen, but I manage to grab her hand and pull her back to me. She wasn't expecting it; a small gasp escapes her lips as her body is pulled into mine. Her hands grasp my shoulders as mine rest on her small waist. Her gaze meets mine.

I turn her head and whisper into her ear. "Ashley, did you really think I came here for coffee?"

Her mouth is hanging open slightly. I lean forward and capture her lips in a kiss. Her tongue sweeps across my bottom lip, asking to deepen the kiss, and my lips part to allow her access. Her hands get lost in my blonde hair as her tongue strokes mine inside my mouth. My hands move to cup her face, while hers grasp onto the belt loops on the front of my jeans. She starts walking backwards, pulling me with her. We reach a small staircase leading to her bedroom. We stumble up the five or so stairs, and I nearly fall on top of her. We reach the top, never breaking our intense kiss, and she backs us towards the bed, which has floor-to-ceiling windows behind it. As soon as the back of her knees hit the side of the mattress, she sits down and backs up to head of the bed. I kneel on the mattress and then lean forward, crawling on all fours towards Ashley. Soon I've got my legs on either side of her waist, straddling her, and I reconnect our lips in a passionate kiss. Her hands slip under my t-shirt, and she pulls it over my head.

I think it landed on the stairs.

She moves her hands around my back and wastes no time unclasping my bra and tossing it aside. She sits up and I lean back slightly as her lips move down my neck and over my collarbone to my breasts. I grasp on to the back of her head as she takes one pink bud into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it and sucking on it.

"God, Ashley, that feels so good."

She switches to my other breast as her fingers play with the one now soaked with her saliva. She pulls backs and rips her own shirt off. I watch it fall to the floor and before I know it, her hot mouth is latched back onto my breasts. I reach around and undo her bra, then move my hands to her shoulders to push the straps off of them. She detaches her mouth from my nipple and pulls back to take off her bra. Her strong arms lift me gently and lay me down on the bed, flipping our positions. She continues her assault on my breasts while one hand grips my hip and the other moves down to the button on my jeans. In a matter of seconds, she's tugging them off of my body, and they too hit the floor. She starts kissing a trail down my stomach, over my boy shorts, and places soft kisses over my soaked center. I moan at the contact and Ashley hooks her fingers under the band of my underwear and slowly pulls them down. She sits up and rips off her own jeans and underwear, and positions herself back between my legs. I can feel her wetness pressing into mine as she lays her body on top of mine, bringing our lips together in searing kiss. Her right hand travels from my shoulder, over my breasts, making sure to glide over my hardened nipple, and down over my waist. Her fingers reach my folds, and I gasp into her mouth at the touch. She languidly strokes my opening, never actually going inside, as she continues sucking on my neck. Her fingers move up slightly, circling my clit and driving me crazy.

"Jesus Christ," I moan aloud.

"Ashley Davies," she corrects, smiling into a kiss pressed into my lips.

She moves her body down so her head is situated between my thighs. She takes a long lick, dragging her tongue from the bottom of my opening to the top, and then circling around my slit multiple times. By now, I pretty much can't breathe, and my hands are gripping handfuls of white sheets. She notices this and reaches her left hand up to hold my right one, intertwining our fingers. She wraps her lips around my clit and sucks hard while teasing it with her soft tongue. She then drags her tongue back down through my folds and wastes no time plunging it into my center. My eyes shoot open and I let out a loud moan as her tongue strokes my inner walls while she thrusts it inside of me slowly.

I reach my free hand down to grab her head and pull her face to face with me. I crash her lips into mine, tasting myself on her tongue. I pull back and whisper against her lips. "Please, Ashley, I need your fingers inside me."

I notice that her eyes are so dark, they're almost black. She trails her right hand back down my body and runs her fingers up and down my wetness as I shut my eyes tight. After capturing my lips in a kiss, she says, "Look at me, Spencer. I want to watch you cum." I open my eyes halfway and look up at her.

God, she's beautiful.

She places a soft kiss on my lips and whispers, "God, you're beautiful," before entering me with two fingers. My eyes open completely and I let out a strangled cry as she moves inside of me. Her fingers stroke my walls slowly, and I know I'm close, but I need more. I struggle with my words as I tell her what I need.

"Ashley, fuck. Please…please…I need…"

Her lips move to my ear and I can feel her hot breath as she speaks. "What do you need, baby? Tell me what you want."

Her words create a new rush of wetness in my center, and I know she can feel it around her fingers. She kisses me quickly, and I'm panting hard into her mouth. "I need…harder…faster…please…"

I finally get my words out and she complies, pumping her fingers in and out of me much harder and much faster. My walls start contracting around her fingers while small whimpers and moans escape my lips much more frequently. She curls her fingers upward, hitting the soft, spongy tissues inside me, and her thumb circles my clit. After a few more strokes, my body stills and then bends upward as my orgasm rushes over me. I can feel the white hot jolts go from my head to my toes. I'm sure I'm leaving marks on Ashley's back as I dig my nails into her. She continues pumping into me until my orgasm subsides.

When it does, she pulls out of me, breathing heavily, and lies on top of me with her head on my chest. As my breathing evens out, I gaze down at her and she has her eyes closed.

Oh, she's not getting out of it this easily.

I cup her face in my hands, causing her eyes to flutter open, and I look into her beautiful brown eyes.

"I want to touch you," I whisper to her.

She doesn't respond. Instead, she kisses my lips slowly. I reach down between our bodies and enter her with two fingers, amazed at how wet she is.

"Fuck, Ashley, you're so wet," I say, as she rides my fingers.

"That's what you do to me, baby." She continues pushing herself down onto my fingers hard.

Her walls are already tightening around my fingers and I know she's almost there.

"Spencer, god, I'm close."

I'm good.

I keep my hand still as she continues to crash her hips down. I only move my thumb to brush over her clit, sending her over the edge. She cries out into my mouth as her orgasm rips through her body. When it finishes, her sweat-soaked body falls on top of mine as I pull out of her. We lay intertwined together and my fingers stroke her soft brown curls as we both drift off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 13

I'm half asleep. At that stage of semi-consciousness right before you wake up. I can tell that I'm lying on my back and I can feel a slight weight being pressed on top of me. My eyes flutter open, and I feel soft lips on my neck, placing small kisses everywhere. The contact makes my mind think back to last night, causing a rush of wetness to my center. A smile crosses my face and I cup the side of hers, bringing her lips up to mine. We engage in a slow, sensual kiss, and her tongue soon invades my mouth. She pulls back, leaving her lips millimeters from mine, and looks into my eyes.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

"Good morning, Princess Charming."

She smiles that nose-crinkling smile.

"You know what I think?" I say.

"What do you think?" she asks, shifting her body so she's half laying on my and half on the bed, her hand grazing my stomach gently.

"I think I'm going to get a shower."

She puts on the cutest pout I have ever seen in my life. I try to act like it doesn't faze me, and I get up from the bed, still naked. I start to make my way to the small staircase and once my hand is on the railing, I turn back to look at her.

"You're not coming?" I say seductively.

Her eyes go wide and she scrambles off of the bed and chases after me. I make it into the bathroom before she does, but she squeezes in before I can shut the door all the way. Once she makes it in, she pushes me back against the door. Her lips attach themselves to mine and she shoves her tongue into my mouth, kissing me hard. As her tongue frantically strokes mine, she moves her right hand slowly down my body while the other hand stays on my hip. Her fingernails rake over my stomach hard, most likely leaving long red marks. Her hand moves upward and roughly massages my breast, rubbing the pad of her thumb over my erect nipple. I'm having trouble concentrating on the kiss, so she starts biting and licking my neck. She sucks hard on my pulse point, causing frequent whimpers to escape my lips.

She grabs my hips and leads me back towards the clear glass shower. She manages to close the door and turn on the water, all without breaking the kiss. The water cascades over out naked bodies, droplets covering every inch of us. Once the water gets hot, she shoves me against the marble shower wall, grabs my wrists, and pins them roughly above my head. She continues her assault on my lips as I moan into her mouth. I try to move my hands to grab on to her, but she has my wrists held tightly.

Her lips curl into a smirk and she lets out a husky laugh. "Do you want to touch me that bad, baby?"

"Yes, Ashley," I breathe out.

She laughs again and presses her lips to my ear. "Too bad."

Her tongue laps at the water droplets on my neck, and follows them down to the valley between my breasts. Her lips travel to the underside of my breast and nip at the flesh there before taking one pink bud in between them and bringing it to its peak. She runs the tip of her tongue around my hardened nipple, teasing me. She switches to the other breast and repeats her actions. Her head comes up, level with mine, and she places one forceful kiss on my lips.

She breaks away and whispers into my ear, "Turn around, Spencer." She loosens her grip on my wrists, and I do as she says, turning in her arms. She pushes me up against the cold marble wall, and I can feel her breasts press into my back. Her tongue traces the shell of my ear and when she reaches my ear lobe, she sucks it into her mouth, nipping at it with her teeth. She rests her hands on my hips and she pulls my away from the wall a bit so I'm leaning more into her. My hands reach behind me and grab on to her neck as her lips catch the droplets on the back of my neck. I lay my head back on to her shoulder to allow her better access. She gets slightly more aggressive as her teeth bite and suck the side of my suck. Her right hand moves from its position on my hip and travels down to right above my clit.

"Are you wet for me, baby?"

Yes, I am, and it's not from the shower.

I nod my head, seeing as I'm having trouble forming words right now.

Her hands plunges through my wetness and strokes my folds slowly. While her right hand teases my opening, her left hand cups my breast, rubbing her palm over my nipple, adding to the pleasure coursing through my body. Two fingers push into my opening and thrust in and out of me at a rapid pace. The volume of my panting and moaning increases as Ashley brings me closer to my orgasm.

"Come on, Spencer," she whispers into my ear. "Cum for me."

"Oh god, Ashley, please. I'm so close."

Her thumb starts to stroke my clit roughly, and my screams echo in the shower as my orgasm hits me.

"Fuck, Ashley!"

She's panting hard against my neck as she helps me ride out my orgasm. Her hand slows, as well as out breathing, and she flips me back around in her arms. My hands grasp her neck and pull her in for a deep kiss. I flip us around so her back is against the shower wall. I quickly make my way down her body with my lips and tongue, and I soon find myself on my knees, staring at her dripping center. I lift her leg over my shoulder for better access, and immediately wrap my lips around her clit. I suck hard and tease the slick nub with the tip of my tongue, eliciting a loud moan from her lips. I slip two fingers inside of her and pump them in and out of her, easily bringing her to orgasm. Once her orgasm subsides, I lap up the juices from her opening before she pulls me up into a deep kiss.

By now, the water has turned cold, so we wash ourselves quickly, stopping once in a while to make out, and dry ourselves off. I finish getting dressed before she does, and when I look over at her, she's wearing a short skirt and a bra, deciding on what shirt to wear. I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her waist. She leans back into my embrace and I place soft kisses on her neck.

She turns in my arms and says, "So, you're coming to my show at the Rainbow House tomorrow night, right?"

"Of course I am, sweetie. You know I wouldn't miss a night of watching my amazingly hot girlfriend play."

A bright, nose-crinkling smile crosses her face. "I like hearing you say that."

"Say what?"

"That I'm your girlfriend."

I smile and say, "I like saying it. And I like even more that I get to say it about you."

She kisses me softly and I tilt my head to allow her access to my tongue.

"I should really get back to the apartment. The bar needs to be cleaned and prepped for the night, and it's my night to work."

"I wish you didn't have to go." She pouts. It's so cute.

"I know. I don't want to, but I have to."

I place another quick kiss on her lips.

Well, it was supposed to be quick. It didn't exactly turn out that way. It ended up with me on top of Ashley, straddling her, with my shirt and bra back where they were on the floor. We finally break apart and I put my clothes back on.

"Ok, I have to be at the studio all day today, but I should be done around midnight. I can just call to talk, or I could swing by after I'm done and see you."

"Or you could do both?" I ask, hopefully.

"Of course I am. I couldn't pass up a night to see my girlfriend."

One more quick kiss and I really do need to get going. I know Morgan's going to give me the Diabetic Inquisition when I get home, and if I stay here any longer, I won't have time to get the bar ready for the night.

"Baby, I really need to go now."

"Ok. I can drop you off on my way to work. I should get going, anyway."

We walk out the door hand in hand. When we get to my apartment, I give her a goodbye kiss, and we both go our separate ways.


	14. Chapter 14

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 14

No sooner do I reach the door than Morgan pulls it open with a very diabetic smirk on her face and yanks me into the living room. She shoves me onto the leather couch and plops down on the other end.

"Tell me everything. Tell me about the date, tell me about Ashley, and most importantly, tell me about the hot sex. And…discuss."

"Ugh, Morgan, why do I have to tell you every detail?"

"Because seeing as I have no love life, I have to live vicariously through yours."

I roll my eyes. "We seriously need to find you a man."

"Yes, we do, but I am not the topic of conversation right now. Spill."

I let out a long sign, remembering the previous night's events, and telling her every detail. Well, except about the sex. I refuse to give her details about the sex.

"All you need to know is that we had sex. That's it."

"How was it?"

She must notice the huge smile I have plastered on my face right now.

"That good, huh?"

"Yeah. It was amazing. She's amazing."

"Spencer, do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to see you this happy?"

"Hmm…about as long as I have?"

"I mean, you weren't even this happy when you were with…"

I shoot her a look. A look that says 'mention her name and I'll rip your eyeballs out.'

"Sorry."

"It's ok. I just don't want this to get fucked up this time."

"Something tells me it's going to be ok, Spence."

"And how do you know that?"

She smirks and rises from the couch. "Diabetic intuition."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Here comes the sun_

_Here comes the sun, and I say_

_It's alright_

I hear my phone ringing from the other end of the bar as I stock up for the night. I check the caller ID to find that my girlfriend is calling.

My girlfriend.

Teehee.

I put on my best sexy voice and flip open the phone.

"Thank you for calling Spencer's Den of Love. If you're a sexy brunette by the name of Ashley Davies, press one to make an appointment. If not, then hang up the phone."

"Well in that case, how does 11:30 sound? The boss is letting me off a little early," she purrs into the phone.

"Sounds great. One of my friends from college is helping out tonight until we find a permanent replacement, so I may be able to get out of closing tonight."

"Awesome. I have a little surprise for you, so you better be able to get off early."

"Ooooh, what kind of surprise?"

"I don't know. You'll just have to find out."

"Hmm…would it happen to be a sexy kind of surprise?"

"Maybe, maybe not. You'll find out later. Oh, and you're staying at my place tonight."

"Oh am I, now?"

"Yes, you are."

"Ok, I think I can do that."

"Good. Well, I have to get back to work, but I will see your cute butt later, ok?"

"Ok, babe."

We said our goodbyes, and I got back to stocking the bar. Morgan descends the stairs and walks over.

"Hey Morgan."

"Hey Spence. What's up?"

"Not too much. Hey, umm…did you get in touch with Steph?"

"Yeah, she said she can be here by 9. Why? Got a hot date with your musician?"

"Um…yeah. She's getting out of work around 11:30, and I'm staying at her place tonight."

"Spencer, I hate you."

"No you don't, Morgan."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just jealous."

"Aw, don't worry. We'll find you a nice guy soon."

She lets out a long sigh. "Yeah. Sure."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For a Thursday night, there sure are a lot of people here. It's a little after 10, and the bar is packed. Thank god Stephanie was able to make it to help out. Morgan and I met her in college. She was one of our roommates freshman year. She's got chin-length dark brown hair that she usually keeps in pigtails, and dark brown eyes. All three of us are behind the bar helping the customers. Morgan practically knocks me over as she runs up to me.

"Oh my god, Spencer, look at that guy down at the end of the bar! I took his drink order, but I don't remember what it was."

I look to the end of the bar where she pointed, and I see a tall, muscular man with short dark hair and green eyes.

"Nice, Morgan. Go flirt with him."

"But I forgot what he wanted to drink! I'll make an ass out of myself! Go take his order for me! Please, Spencer!"

I chuckle to myself. "I seem to remember last week when I asked you to talk to Ashley for me, and you wouldn't do it. See where that got me? Now grow some metaphorical balls and go talk to him! I need to go into the office real quick. If I come back out here and you're not flirting with him, I'm taking away your insulin."

She gasps. "You wouldn't!"

I cock an eyebrow at her and walk into the office. I stand in front of the desk, going through some papers when I feel one strong arm wrap around my waist from behind while the other moves my hair away from my neck to allow soft kisses to be placed there. That hand joins the other at my waist while the pouty lips assaulting my neck move to my ear.

"How bad did you miss me?" the lust-filled voice whispers.

I let out a small whimper and spin in her arms. My arms go around her neck and pull her in for a deep kiss. Her tongue pushes past my lips and starts massaging mine. Her hands are everywhere, creating a burning path all over my body. My hands are in her hair, pulling her hot mouth closer to me. Our mouths move together for a few more seconds before she pulls away, catching my bottom lip between her teeth before releasing it.

"You're here early; it's not even 11 yet," I say, my voice slightly huskier than normal.

"The boss let me off earlier than I thought, so I decided I'd stop by to see my favorite girlfriend," she explains with a smirk.

"_Favorite_ girlfriend?" I'd better be your _only_ girlfriend."

She laughs lightly. "Don't worry, babe, you're my one and only."

"Good," I say with a smile. "I'd better be." I place another soft kiss on her lips.

"Now come on. Let's get back to my place so I can show you that surprise," she says, after pulling away.

"Ok. I have to go talk to Morgan, so I'll meet you out at the car?"

"Sounds good."

I walk out to the bar, which has emptied a bit since I've been in the office. I see Morgan behind the bar talking to the guy from earlier. I walk up behind her as she's being handed a slip of paper from him. He exits the bar with a wink in her directions, and she turns around to face me.

"Aiden gave me his number!"

So his name is Aiden. He'll have to pass the Best Friend Inspection before I can approve.

"Good, now I don't have to take away your insulin."

"Yeah, he wants me to call him tomorrow."

"Well, Ashley's playing at The Rainbow House tomorrow night. You should invite him to go."

"Yeah, I think I'll do that."

"Anyway. Ashley's here, so if you and Steph can manage, I was going to head out with her."

"Ok. I think we can handle it. You go have your hot lesbian sex."

"Gee, thanks. Call me tomorrow after you talk to Aiden."

"Ok. Have fun!"

I'm sure I will.

I walk out to the parking lot to see Ashley leaning against the passenger side door. She opens it for me, and after a comfortable ride with her hand on mine, we pull up to her apartment building. Once we get inside her door, she tells me to wait in the living room. She runs up the small staircase to her bedroom, and after about five minutes, she yells down to me.

"Ok, you can come up now!"

I make my way up the stairs and see her standing at the foot of the bed in a tiny black silk robe with her dark curls falling freely around her face.

"Are you ready for your surprise?" she asks seductively.

My vocal chords don't seem to be working at the moment, so I just nod my head slowly.

She loosens the belt on the robe, and it falls to the floor.

My jaw follows soon afterward.


	15. Chapter 15

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 15

With the black silk robe now lying around her feet, I drag my eyes up Ashley's toned, tan frame. From her long, bronze legs, up to the extremely sexy black lace underwear with a bulge in the front, on to the hot, rock hard abs that still have my scratch marks on them, and finally noticing the matching black lace bra that makes her breasts seems 3 cup sizes bigger.

Wait. Bulge? What?

My eyes travel back down to her underwear, and I must have the expression of a goldfish on my face. My mouth is opening and closing; vocal chords once again having lost their ability.

She starts to walk towards me, swinging her hips from side to side. I don't think my eyes have left the bulge in the crotch of her underwear. When she reaches me, she places her right hand on the side of my face, cupping my cheek.

"Are you ok? I know we're new to the relationship thing, and if you're not ready, we don't have to use it."

I swallow thickly, alleviating the dryness in my throat, allowing me to finally speak.

"Uh…umm…"

Never mind. Still can't speak.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have…"

I cut her off with a kiss. My voice may not be working, but that doesn't mean my mouth isn't as well.

It starts off slow, but quickly escalates as I brush my tongue across her bottom lip, asking for access that she immediately grants. My hands grasp her hips and crash them into mine. I angle my head to deepen the kiss and her hands wrap around my shoulders. She starts leading us back to the bed, and she stops us in front of it, breaking the kiss.

She looks unto my eyes, and I can see that her beautiful brown eyes have darkened with arousal.

"Are you sure? We don't have to if…"

"Sssh," I say, placing my fingertips over her lips. "It's ok…I want to."

She turns her face into my palm and kisses each fingertip. My thumb brushes over her bottom lip before she places a barely there kiss on the pad. She sits down on the bed and moves up to the headboard while I crawl over to her. I settle myself on top of her and recapture her lips in a heated kiss. I lie fully on top of her and grind my hips into hers, feeling the bulge make contact with my center. Ashley grabs the hem of my shirt, and we break the kiss just long enough for her to remove it, along with my bra. My lips move to her neck to suck on her pulse point.

"Oh my god, Spencer." Her hands make their way down between our bodies to undo my jeans and rip them off. She reaches to where my underwear would normally be to find that I'm not wearing any. Instead, her hand is met with my dripping center.

"Somebody came prepared," she chuckles into my ear.

"Somebody knew they were going to be fucking their hot girlfriend tonight," I reply. I kiss my way down her neck and collarbone, and lick the swell of her breasts before unclasping her bra. I slide the straps down her shoulders and pull her bra off, revealing her small but perfect, tan breasts. I swipe my tongue around her nipple; making her moan loudly, then suck the hardened bud into my mouth. After spending some time suckling her nipples, she sits up to return the favor. She sucks hard on my nipples as she scratches her nails down my back, causing frequent whimpers to emanate from my bruised lips. I lay her back down and hook my fingers under the band of her black lace underwear and pull them down. The 9-inch, red strap on springs upward as she kicks her underwear off. As I place a gentle kiss on her lips, I grind my center into her hips, rubbing myself on the head of the dildo.

"Oh fuck, Spencer! Are you sure about this?"

I don't answer her. Instead, I position myself above the dildo and lover my hips until I can feel the head at my entrance. I continue to lower myself slowly, taking in the whole 9 inches, until I feel her skin underneath me. I bite my bottom lip and throw my head back, moaning at the feel of the strap on inside me completely. I give myself a minute to adjust before slowly moving myself up and down, enjoying the feeling of the dildo stroking my inner walls. Ashley's hands grasp my hips, helping me ride her. My hands rest on her abs, steadying myself as I start to move faster.

"Oh my god, Ashley! So good, baby, so fucking good!"

My hands move to grab the headboard and I crash my hips down into hers harder and faster. I can feel my orgasm starting to build deep inside of me.

"Ashley, Christ! I'm going to cum!"

"So am I, baby! Oh fuck!"

Her hands grab my ass and with a few more strokes, we both scream each other's name in ecstasy. Once or orgasms subside, I pull the dildo out of me, and my sweat-soaked body collapses on top of hers. She takes the strap on off, tosses it aside, and wraps her arms around me. I nuzzle my face into her neck and kiss the soft skin there.

"God, Ashley, that was amazing."

"That was so good, baby."

"We're going to have to use that again soon," I say.

"Uh huh," she breathes into my hair.

After a few minutes of silence, I feel her breathing even out, and I know that she has fallen asleep. I follow soon afterwards, wrapped in her arms and feeling more content than I ever have in my life.


	16. Chapter 16

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 16

I wake up, still wrapped in her arms. I can feel her pressed into my back, with her right arm slung across my hip, holding me close. Judging by the deep breaths she's taking, I'm pretty sure she's still asleep. I gently and quietly turn around in her arms to face her. My suspicions are correct; she's got her mouth open slightly, and a small amount of drool is trickling out of the corner of her mouth. If it was anyone else, I'd probably think it was disgusting. With her, it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. I brush a few strands of hair out of her face, and I think about how far I've come.

Two years ago, I had just gotten out of a disastrous relationship with Rachel. The first six months were great. It was after that that I noticed a change in her. She became more distant; hardly spending any time with me, and going out until all hours of the morning, sometimes not even coming home at all. We had an apartment together before I moved in with Morgan. That went on for the next six months, before I found her in bed with another woman. I didn't bother to find out if there were any others. I couldn't deal with the love of my life cheating on me like that.

That's what scares me now.

I'm falling for Ashley. Hard. I know it's only been like a week, but the feelings I have for her are more than anything I've ever felt for Rachel. I haven't been in a relationship since her. Hell, I haven't even gone on hardly any dates. When I do, I try to look for something wrong. Whether it be the way the girl chews, or if she swings her arms too much when she walks. Very trivial things, but I just can't help it. I look for those things to tell myself that I can't date them any longer; to keep myself from getting too involved and getting hurt again.

And then Ashley came along, and all that went right out the window.

I want to tell myself that I jumped into the relationship with her too fast, but everything about her seems so…perfect. The way she makes me laugh, the way she holds my hand, the way the simplest touch from her sends shivers up and down my spine. The way she does that thing with her tongue…

Ok, I need to stop. Think about something gross.

Paris Hilton's sex tape! Ok, good start. Keep thinking.

Sex. With Ashley.

Shit.

Luckily, I'm taken from my thoughts by Ashley's eyes fluttering open; her brown eyes meeting my blue ones.

Her brow furrows into a questioning look.

"Spence, are you okay? You're breathing kinda heavy and your face is flushed. Do you feel sick?"

Dammit. She caught me.

"No, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Must be some pretty intense thoughts."

"You could say that."

She smiles that smile of hers.

"So you're still coming tonight, right?"

"Of course, baby. Morgan's coming, too. She met some guy at the bar and got his number, so she's bringing him along. We're even closing the bar down so both of us can go."

"Aww, now I feel special. And kinda bad…you're not going to lose too much business, are you?"

"Oh, no. We're fine. Business has been good lately, so we can afford to close for one night. But I'm only coming if you play that song you wrote for me."

She smirks at me. "Of course I'll play it. I plan on playing that song at every show I do from now on."

Now I'm smiling. What can I say? She does that to me.

"Hey, what time is it?" she asks.

I look over her shoulder at the alarm clock to see that it's after one.

"Wow, babe. We must have worn each other out last night. It's already almost one-thirty."

"Well, if that's what wearing out feels like, I think we should wear out more often."

We start giggling insanely, which turns into a tickle fight, which turns into a make out session. When I realize that her hand is slowly making its way down my body, I decide that if we don't stop now, we probably won't make it out of her apartment all day.

Not that I'd mind it, but I do have some work to get done before heading to the Rainbow House tonight.

I reluctantly break away from the kiss and say, "I should get going."

She groans.

"I know, I know. But I have stuff to do. I have to interview someone for the bartending position."

She sticks her bottom lip out in a cute little pout.

"How about you come back to my place tonight after the show?" I ask, and her pout immediately turns into a big smile.

"Yeah, ok. I'd like that."

I manage to get dressed with only one interruption from Ashley that almost leads to another make out session.

"You ready to leave?" she asks me.

I wrap my arms around her shoulders and massage the back of her neck.

"No, I'm definitely not," I say before connecting out lips. The kiss lasts a few seconds before I pull away, knowing that if it goes on any longer, we'll end up back in bed.

I sigh. "But yes, I'm ready."

"Ok."

She takes my hand and we walk to her car. The ride doesn't last long, and soon we're in front of the bar. We get out of the car and she walks me up inside. We enter the living room before she breaks the comfortable silence.

"Wow, I've actually never been up here, have I?"

"No, I don't believe you have."

Morgan wanders out into the living room in her bra and underwear.

"And that's my roommate, coworker, and best friend, Morgan."

The fact that she's only in her underwear doesn't seem to faze Morgan. Ashley, however, looks at me with one eyebrow raised. I shrug my shoulders.

"Hi Ashley! Nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you." She extends her hand and Ashley returns the gesture, shaking it.

"Wow, I hope all good things." She laughs lightly.

"Oh, of course. Nothing but good things. Well, I should probably go finish getting dressed. I'll see you tonight, Ashley." She wanders back into her room.

"So. That's Morgan."

"Yes, it is, and yes, she sometimes walks around in her underwear."

"Ah, ok. Anyway, I'll let you get ready for your interview."

"Mmm, don't leave."

"Babe, if I stay, you know we won't get anything done."

"I know." I lean into her, and she wraps her arms around me.

She cups my face gently in her hands and kisses me. Morgan walks out, dressed this time, and goes into the kitchen.

"Get a room!" she yells.

"Already did!" Ashley yells back.

"Eww!"

Morgan's response causes us to erupt in a fit of giggles. Once we calm ourselves down, she kisses me once more.

"Ok, I should get going. I'll see you tonight."

Much to my dismay, she leaves. I quickly hop in the shower and get dressed just as my phone rings.

"Hello?"

A husky, feminine voice answers and says, "Hi, this is Carmen. I have an interview for the bartending position. Is this Spencer?"

"Yes, it is. Do you think you could come in today?"

"Yeah, I'm actually outside the bar right now." She laughs.

"Oh ok. I'll be right down to let you in."

We hang up and I go downstairs. When I open the door, Carmen is standing there. She's shorter, with dark hair and bangs. I would consider her pretty, but nowhere near as beautiful as Ashley.

"Spencer, I presume?"

"That would be me. It's nice to meet you, Carmen."

"Likewise."

I lead her into the bar and we sit down across from each other in a booth.

"So, Carmen. What makes you think you're qualified for this position?"

She explains that she worked at another bar not far from mine. The bar had been taken over by a new owner, who was not very nice, so she quit. I asked her a few more questions, and she made a very good first impression. She was very friendly and bubbly, and I liked her immediately. She seemed worthy of the position, but I had to ask one more question.

"Ok, so far, you seem very qualified, and I think you'll fit in very well here. However, I have one more question. Are you…a lesbian?"

She gets a confused look on her face and says, "Yes, I am. Is that going to be a problem?"

"Well, only if you try and hit on my girlfriend. The girl I had to fire wouldn't leave her alone, and that didn't sit very well with me."

"Oh, ok, I gotcha. You don't have to worry about that; I'm in a very committed relationship." She smiles widely as she says this, and I know I have nothing to worry about.

"Ok, great. Well, in that case, welcome to the bar! We're actually closed for tonight, but can you start tomorrow night?"

Her smiles grows, and she says, "Yes, I can! Thank you so much!"

"You're very welcome, Carmen. I have a few things to get done, so I will see you tomorrow night at seven."

"Great, I'll be here. Thanks again!"

She leaves, and I realize that I've been interviewing her for the past hour or more, and it's already after five. I have to be at Rainbow House at 6:30, so I go upstairs to change and make dinner. As soon as I walk into the living room, however, I smell spaghetti cooking, and my mouth starts to water. Morgan walks out in an apron that says 'Kiss the Diabetic.'

"I noticed you were running late, so I laid a sexy outfit on your bed and made dinner."

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much, Morgan."

"No problem. I'm also super nervous about my date with Aiden, so I needed to keep myself busy, or else I'd go insane."

I laugh, and walk into my room to change. On my bed, Morgan laid out a tiny denim skirt and a pale blue tank top that barely covered my torso. I knew Ashley would like it, so I put it on. I walked back out to the kitchen and helped Morgan set the table. Once we finished eating, I helped her pick out an outfit consisting of a tight pair of jeans and a brown halter top, and we headed out to my car. It was about a 20 minute drive to the Rainbow House, and we walked inside once we got there. Morgan immediately spotted Aiden, who was holding a single red rose, and I wished her good luck as she made her way over to him. Right as I'm about to go look for Ashley, I feel two arms wrap around my waist from behind and soft kisses pressed into the back of my neck. I turn in her arms and kiss her quickly.

"I miss you," I say while staring into her dark brown orbs.

"You realize we've only been away from each other for like, five hours, right?" she says as she smirks at me.

"I know," I pout. "That's five hours too long."

She laughs and pecks my cheek.

"Well, I wish I could stay and chat, but I have to go get ready. I go on at seven."

"Ok. Good luck! And play my song!"

"Don't worry, I will. Oh, and Stella, Kyla, and Nick are over at a table in front of the stage if you don't want to sit by yourself."

"Ok."

She kisses me once more, and walks up to the stage to tune her guitar. At this time, I take in my surroundings. The place is fairly small, with one bar along the left wall, booths along the right wall, the small stage at the far end of the room, and a couple of tables in the middle. It was decorated very brightly, and the booths seemed to be taken from an old 50's style diner. I liked it immediately. I glance over at the tables and spot Stella, Kyla, and Nick at the table closest to the stage, so I walk over to them.

I pull up a chair to their table and we talk for a little while about a variety of topics. I only pay half my attention to the conversation, while the other half watches Ashley tune her guitar by the stage, her longs legs dangling off the side. I watch as her long fingers pluck the various strings and tune the knobs on the head of the guitar. She looks so beautiful as she concentrates on her tuning. She glances up slowly, and her eyes meet mine. I blush as she catches me starting, and she smiles widely, then blows a kiss in my direction. I smile back at her and return the gesture. After a few more moments, she stands up and approaches the mic in the front center of the stage. The lights dim slightly as she strums the first chords of her song. It's another Beatles song. Her husky voice sings the lyrics perfectly as she hits every note.

_Good day sunshine_

_Good day sunshine  
Good day sunshine _

_  
I need to laugh, and when the sun is out  
I've got something I can laugh about  
I feel good in a special way  
I'm in love, and it's sunny day_

_  
Good day sunshine_

_Good day sunshine  
Good day sunshine_

_  
We take a walk, the sun is shining down  
Burns my feet as they touch the ground_

_  
Good day sunshine_

_Good day sunshine  
Good day sunshine_

_  
And then we lie beneath a shady tree  
I love her and she's loving me  
She feels good, she knows she's looking fine  
I'm so proud to know that she is mine_

_  
Good day sunshine_

_Good day sunshine  
Good day sunshine  
Good day sunshine_

_Good day sunshine_

The song comes to and end with thunderous applause, and she introduces herself.

"Hey everyone! My name is Ashley, and I'm here to play a few songs for you. That one right there was called "Good Day Sunshine" by the Beatles. I just want to say a quick thank you to the Rainbow House for having me play tonight. I'm really glad to have this opportunity. I also want to thank all of you for coming out to see me, and I hope you have a great time. This next song is one I wrote a few years ago. It's called 'Back on the Shelf.'"

She plays the song from Open Mic Night, and it's as beautiful as I remember it. She plays a few more songs; a mixture of originals and covers, each one met with loud clapping and cheers from the crowd.

"Ok guys, this is going to be my last one. I wrote this song last week for a beautiful girl that I met. I played it for her at a show I did at her bar not too far from here, and that beautiful girl is now my beautiful girlfriend. So I'd like to dedicate this song to her. It's called 'Chance.'" I blush as a chorus of 'awws' comes from the audience.

She plays the song she wrote for me, and I feel the same excitement I did on that same night, exactly one week ago. Her eyes are on me as she sings every word. When she finishes, more than half the crowd stands up and cheers for her.

"Thanks a lot for coming out! Have a great night!"

She grabs her guitar and hops down off the stage. After placing her guitar in its leather case, she walks over to our table and takes a seat next to me. She places a quick kiss on my cheek before being bombarded with praise on her performance. We stay a few more hours, watching the other performers, having a few drinks, and talking about many things. And the whole time, her hand is in mine.

As the night wears on, I push out my fears of jumping into this relationship with her, and realize that right where I am is where I want to be.


	17. Chapter 17

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 17

I'm awoken from a deep slumber by the sound of a husky voice. My eyes have yet to open, but I know that if they were, I would see Ashley facing me, singing a song.

_I've been awake for a while now_

_You've got me feeling like a child now_

'_Cause every time I see your bubbly face_

_I get the tinglies in a silly place_

_It starts in my toes, makes me crinkle my nose_

_Wherever it goes, I'll always know_

_You make me smile_

_Please stay for a while_

_Just take your time, wherever you go_

_The rain is falling on my windowpane_

_But we are hiding in a safer place_

_Under covers staying dry and warm_

_You give me feelings that I adore_

_It starts in my toes, makes me crinkle my nose_

_Wherever it goes, I'll always know_

_You make me smile_

_Please stay for a while_

_Just take your time, wherever you go_

_I've been asleep for a while now_

_You tuck me in just like a child now_

'_Cause every time you hold me in your arms_

_I'm comfortable enough to feel your warmth_

_It starts in my soul, and I lose all control_

_When you kiss my nose, the feelings show_

_You make me smile_

_Baby, just take your time now_

_Holding me tight_

I can hear a smile in her voice as she finishes the last words of the song. I feel her push aside the hair from my neck and place small kisses down to my shoulder.

I wouldn't mind being woken up like this every day.

My eyes flicker open and she's smiling right at me.

"Good morning," she says before gently placing a kiss on my lips.

"Good morning," I respond. I nuzzle my face into her neck and sigh contentedly. Our arms wrap around each other as we fall into a peaceful silence.

After a few minutes, I break the silence.

"I wish we could stay here all day. I don't want to get up and go to work."

"I'm so glad I only work during the week. I get to do absolutely nothing all weekend."

"Way to rub it in!" I say, and smack her on the shoulder. She feigns an injury and pouts.

"Kiss it better," she says, and I laugh before placing a kiss on her shoulder where I hit her.

"You're such a dork," I say.

"But I'm your dork," she replies.

"I know," I say. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

A few more moments of silence are spent in each other's arms, enjoying the warmth, when an idea crosses my mind. I untangle our bodies and get up from the bed, completely naked. I start to walk towards the bathroom connected to my room, making sure to sway my hips a bit more than usual. I can feel her eyes burning holes into my backside, and when I reach the bathroom door, I turn my head to look over my shoulder at her, giving her a look that clearly says: "Shower. Now."

She gets the hint.

Oh MAN, does she get the hint.

Twice.

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By the time we get out of the shower two hours later, it's about noon, and we're both starving.

For food, I mean.

Ashley and I make ourselves some breakfast, and afterwards lay together on the couch; Ashley on her back, and I on top of her on my stomach. Milo soon joins us, curling up on my back. He's normally very shy around new people, but not Ashley. He came right up to her and hopped on her lap while we ate breakfast.

As we lay together, I hear the front door unlock. I lift my head and look towards the noise to see Morgan walk through the door looking very disheveled. She must see me lying on top of Ashley because both her hands fly up to cover her eyes.

"I didn't see anything!"

"There's nothing to see, jackass. We're just relaxing," I say to her.

Her hands never leave her face as she responds, "By 'relaxing,' do you mean 'having naked, sweaty sex?'"

"No, I mean 'relaxing' as in 'dry, clothed nap time before work.'"

She uncovers her eyes and starts walking towards her room. "Oh. Lame."

I just realized that this is the first time I've seen Morgan all morning. I get up from the couch and call out after her.

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

She stops dead in her tracks and turns slowly, anticipating my question.

"Just where have you been all night?" I ask her, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Umm…out?"

I chuckle. "Well, clearly. Out where?"

She bites her bottom lip, but doesn't respond.

"Oh, you TOTALLY spent the night with Aiden!" I say with a smirk. A deep blush rises in her cheeks and she sprints into her room and closes the door. Ashley, Milo, and I chase after her and plop down on her bed, waiting for the details. She's on her stomach, face down in her pillow. Ashley is sitting behind me with her arms wrapped around my waist, and Milo took the spot in my lap. Morgan mumbles something into the pillow.

"Uh…Sorry, Morgan. Neither of us speak Diabetic. In English, this time?"

Her head comes off the pillow as she says, "I like him a lot, guys. He's so nice! Not the brightest crayon in the box, but he's, like the sweetest guy I've ever met!"

"Aww, Morgan. I'm so happy for you! Just be careful."

"Oh, I know. Don't worry. I have a good feeling about this one."

"Well, I hope you're right."

Ashley chimes in. "You never know. You could end up spending the rest of your life with this one." As she finishes, she hugs me closer and kisses the back of my neck. A huge smile crosses my face.

"Ugh. You guys are so cute, it's disgusting."

All three of us laugh. We spend the rest of the afternoon lying around talking about everything, even sex with Aiden, and how amazing it was. The conversation about sex sparked a little something in Ashley and I, and we spent a couple of hours back in my bedroom.

As we lay together, our naked bodies entwined, I hear the doorbell ring. I throw on a robe and make my way to the door. I open it, and my jaw hits the floor; my smile turning into a frown.

"Rachel…"


	18. Chapter 18

Here Comes the Sun: Chapter 18

"Hello, Spencer."

Oh my god.

Oh. My. GOD.

This can't be happening. I'm finally at a good place in my life right now. She can't mess it up. She can't do this to me.

Ashley walks up behind me in her boxers and a tank top.

"Who is it, babe?"

I don't answer her. I can't speak. Instead, I turn towards Ashley, my mouth still hanging open.

"Spencer, what's wrong?" she asks. She looks toward the short-haired brunette. "Who are you?"

The brunette gets an evil smirk on her face as she drags her eyes up and down Ashley's body. My _girlfriend's_ body.

"I'm Rachel. And you are?"

"I'm Ashley, Spencer's girlfriend," she answers. "What can we do for you?"

"Actually, I came to talk with Spencer."

The anger takes over my body, and I seem to find my voice.

"I don't want to talk to you, Rachel! That should come as no surprise to you!"

She takes a step into the apartment. "Oh come on, Spence. I just want to talk. I'm sorry about everything. I want to make things right with you." She reaches out to take my hand, but I step back from her in disgust.

"No! What makes you think you can just walk back into my life after everything you did and expect me to take you back!?"

"Listen, Spencer. I'm sorry, ok? What I did was wrong. I was an idiot; I never should have given you up."

Ashley steps in between Rachel and I, like she's protecting me.

"Listen, Rachel," she begins, "Spencer clearly doesn't want anything to do with you. You need to leave this apartment right now, or I'll make sure you regret ever coming here."

Rachel steps back out the door, raising her hands as if to surrender. "Hey, I don't want to start anything. I just wanted to talk to her." She turns towards me with another sickening smirk on her face and says, "If you change your mind, I'm sure you still have my number." With that, she turns and walks down the stairs and leaves.

Ashley immediately turns towards me and wraps her arms around me, running her fingers through my hair.

"Are you ok, sweetie?"

I lean into her embrace and let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"Yeah, I'm ok."

"Are you sure? She just kind of came here out of nowhere."

"Positive. And you've got nothing to worry about. There's no way in hell I'd ever go back to her. Not when I've got you."

I feel her smile into my hair and she pulls back, pressing a kiss into my forehead.

"I wasn't worried," she says as she looks deep into my eyes, "I trust you."

When she says those words, a smile spreads over my face. Rachel never said those words to me. She could barely say "I love you."

I kiss her gently, and then pull back. Her eyes glance towards the floor as she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. When she meets my eyes again, she somehow changes. Her expression is different, and I can't tell what she's thinking.

"Can you get off work early tonight? Do you think Morgan could take care of closing up?"

"It depends on how busy we are, but now that I've hired Carmen, it shouldn't be a problem. Why?"

"I want to take you somewhere."

"O…k. Vague much?"

"It's someplace special. You'll find out tonight. Can you be at my apartment at 11?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Ok. I have to go. I'll see you tonight."

She places a quick kiss on my lips, then goes back to get her clothes from my room and leaves. I'm left standing in the hallway in my blue bathrobe completely confused.

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As the day goes on and the hours pass, I hear nothing from Ashley. Getting the bar ready for the night helped to pass the time, and once we opened and I showed Carmen the ropes, 11 o'clock came quickly.

I gathered my keys from the office before heading back out.

"Guys, I'm heading out early. Morgan, can you show Carmen how to close up the bar?"

"Yeah, that won't be a problem," she responds.

"Ok. I'll see you guys later."

I walk out to my car and head over to Ashley's loft. Once I got there, I grab a hoodie from my backseat, the one that Ashley had leant to me. I pull it over my head and inhale her scent. I walk up to her door and as soon as I get there, she opens it, grabs my hand, and leads me to the beach by her loft. We walk in the sand together for a few minutes in comfortable silence. We reach an area under a pier, and she sits down in the sand with her back against a wooden pole. I take a seat between her legs and she wraps her arms around my waist. I lean back into her as she rests her chin on my shoulder.

Ashley is the first to break the silence. "I started coming here when my dad died. It's quiet, and it helps me do some thinking."

I keep quiet and let her talk.

"I made it a tradition to come here whenever something big happens in my life."

I smile to myself as she says this.

"I've never brought anyone here before." She's talking just above a whisper now.

My smile grows, and I can't imagine any moment in my life being better than this one right now.

"I love you," she whispers.

Nevermind.

"_I love you, too."_


End file.
